Edward Capell

Edward Capell ( June 11, 1713 *, † February 24, 1781 ) was an English Shakespearean scholar.

Life and work

Capell was born in Troston Hall in Suffolk. He was appointed in 1737 with a salary of £ 200 per year as a curator at the British theater censorship office by the recommendation of Charles FitzRoy. In 1745 he was chamberlain at the court of King George II

In 1760, edited by him Prolusions collection, or, Select Pieces of Ancient Poetry appeared. It contained the drama of Edward III, he was one of Shakespeare Apocrypha. His criticism of Shakespeare edition of Sir Thomas Hanmer prompted him to take their own complete edition on the basis of early prints in attack. He collected and compared the obtained Quarto and Folio versions and introduced in 1768 its ten -volume work output before being praised by today's scientists as " remarkably clean text". His introduction was reprinted in the later editions of Samuel Johnson and George Steevens as an attachment. He published in 1774 the first part of a comment the work, which was published in 1783, two years after his death by John Churton Collins under the title Notes and Various Readings of Shakespeare. It contains numerous references to the sources Shakespeare used. Collins later claimed that Steevens had bribed the workers in the printing of Capell's edition and so stole the notes from Capell for its own output. In addition to the complete edition Capell got in 1758 along with David Garrick, a single edition of Antony and Cleopatra, which was set up for performances.

Capell's edition was reprinted until 1813 six times. He died on February 24, 1781 at the Inner Temple.

Selected Works

• Prolusions, or, Select Pieces of Ancient Poetry. In 1760.
• Mr. William Shakespeare. His Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. Vol 10 London 1767-68.
• Notes and Various Readings. (Vol. I, 1744; vol I-III 1779-1783 ).
• School of Shakspeare. ( Contained in: " Notes ...")